Looking for a unique baby name? You might be tempted to choose something from this list of vintage baby names, or name your little one after your favourite TV and film characters. At the moment, parents are also reviving travel-inspired baby names, keen to bestow a name on their little one that reflects the places they know and love.
But if you're expecting the patter of tiny feet this spring, you may be tempted to opt for a baby name that reflects the season - and what better place to look for inspiration than the outdoors. Nature-themed baby names can be beautiful and unusual, so it makes sense that they're rising in popularity.
Online toy retailer Play Like Mum has analysed the most popular nature-themed baby names to find out which monikers are topping the charts. They've also found the names you're likely to start hearing a little more over the next few years.
They collated a list of over 200 names with links to nature and used the Office of National Statistics (ONS) data for England and Wales, the NISRA data for Northern Ireland and the National Records of Scotland to find the most popular nature-themed baby names in the UK between 2010 and 2021.
The research found that Lily has been one of the most popular monikers for girls in the UK in recent years, with the name chosen for over 40,000 newborns in the last decade. For boys, Leo takes the top spot with over 43,000 born in the last ten years.
There are also some unique additions, too. The rarest names of them all are those registered just once or twice in the last ten years, and that includes Hawk, Moon and Malachite for boys, and Oakly, Nettle and Swan for girls.
Nature-themed baby names
If you're due in the next couple of months and are looking for some inspiration from the natural world, take a look at the monikers below...
Most popular nature-themed baby names for girls
- Lily
- Poppy
- Ruby
- Daisy
- Willow
- Holly
- Ivy
- Summer
- Jasmine
- Amber
- Rose
- Violet
- Brooke
- Luna
- Skye
- Iris
- Eden
- Aurora
- Savannah
- Autumn
Most popular nature-themed baby names for girls
- Leo
- Rowan
- Jasper
- Jay
- Robin
- River
- Eden
- Woody
- Bear
- Fox
- Clay
- Rocky
- Sol
- Forrest
- August
- Sunny
- Bjorn
- Drake
- Wren
- Ocean
And if you're wondering which nature-themed baby names have been steadily rising in popularity since 2020, there are some monikers to watch. Clementine, Flora and Ocean are the three baby names becoming increasingly popular with parents, as are Raven, Olive, Nova and August.
River, Wren and Rowan make up the final three in the rising top 10 - so if you are looking for a unique baby name, maybe this will inspire your final pick!
